Pitch Black at Work
by Guardian of the Fearful
Summary: Jack Frost happens upon a village hidden in unknown blizzard mountains. Something sparks in his heart to investigate. He won't truly know why, until he sees Pitch Black at Work. (OC)
1. A Song in the Winter

Jack Frost curled his pale fingers tighter around his staff and spread his arms, almost as if he were embracing the wind that greeted him. He briefly closed his eyes and he flew through the air. His icy gaze looked at the glistening, snow covered peaks of the mountains below. Distant lights flickered, hiding within the thick evergreen forest.

Curiosity drove him towards the small village and he landed softly on a high branch. People clad in dull colored clothes walked underneath him towards the small campfires that dotted between homes. He silently slid his feet off the branch and perched himself on a lower one.

_What was that? _He jumped, turning towards the distant noise. A soft voice echoed off the trees and reached his ears. He hopped down from the tree and lightly walked through the snow.

A song. That's what it was. A soft, beautiful song. It's tune held sadness, yet somehow seemed to provide comfort to the singer. A dark figure caught his sight and he leaped up into the prickly branches. The humming stopped as Jack's shuffling disturbed the silence.

"Who's there?" the voice bore courage, though it sounded youthful. "Don't play games with me, I know you're there... Fortis? If that's you, Fortis, you should go back to wherever you live, before I see you."

Jack recognized the name_ Fortis _as the Latin word for_ strong_. He smirked as he noticed the color of the boy's hair. White. He looked about fourteen and his ghostly gaze darted around nervously.

The boy must've gotten skittish, for he cautiously made his way further in the forest. Jack hastily followed behind, being careful not to make anymore noise by hovering above the footprints as they weaved through trees. Minutes passed by like hours and Jack started to notice the evergreens no longer around them, but fruit trees lined up, planted on frozen, but fertile. Jack slid his fingers over the fruit, curious cause it was still growing in the dead of winter. The boy silently walked down one of the trails between the trees, all the while watching his feet.

A large mansion came into view, making Jack freeze in awe. He swooped towards the house and landed on the smooth shingles. He chuckled as his bare feet slipped on the surface. Frost swirled around his toes and he climbed up the slanted roof. A skylight surprised him and he peeked over the edge and peered into the house. A giant, stone fireplace light the room with a cozy glow, but nobody relaxed in the numerous couches and recliners.

Jack slid back down the roof and flew down to the ground where he could look through the first-floor windows. The door creaked as it opened and the sound of boots on wood followed until the door closed again. The boy went inside. Jack peeked through the family room window and the kitchen window before he found an empty office. He gently pulled up on the window and smirked as it slid up. He opened it enough for his thin body to squeezed through, then quietly shut it again.

"Joseph, dinner's ready," said a female voice. He caught sight through the cracked door, a petite woman clutching her shawl with one hand and holding a plate out to 'Joseph' with the other. He didn't even meet her gaze as he walked passed.

"I'm not hungry." Joseph's voice was cold, but gentle. He disappeared down a hall and Jack slipped out of the room to fallow. A short gasp escaped him as the woman walked through him as if he were nothing. He was nothing... to her. She reached Joseph just as, what Jack assumed, his room door closed. She sighed and retreated back to the kitchen.

"Hm... Pleasant boy," Jack whispered to himself and gingerly clutched the doorknob. He slightly turned it and smiled at the satisfying click. The door didn't creak as it opened, but Jack still winced. The room was relatively small, but was large enough to hold a wardrobe, bed, desk, bookshelf, and a few picture frames on the empty spots on the wall. Jack lifted his feet off the ground and hovered behind Joseph, who sat at his desk, reading a book.

Jack lifted his chin to get a better look at the pages and scanned over the words. At the top of the left page, small writing stained the paper saying, _Two Towers_. He smiled and leaned back, twisting the staff in his fingers.

"That's a good book. Keep up the good work. It gets better," he added, dropping to the floor. He cringed when small crackling sounded and frost swirled on the wooden planks.

"What," Jack turned to find Joseph, standing up, arms crossed and eyes wide. "are you doing in my room?" His breath caught in his throat and he turned to leave. A small boy, looking much like a younger Joseph, only with blond hair, hid behind another child. A girl who looked about eight. She had dark, brown hair, like her mother, and sparkling blue eyes that gazed pleadingly right through him.

Jack sighed in relief, but also in disappointment. They couldn't see him...

"Can you _please_ read us a story tonight? _Please_!" the girl clasped her fingers together and bounced on her heals eagerly.

"Mac! I'm reading!" Joseph protested, leaning to the side to get a better look of the toddler boy. Mac's arms fell limply to her sides and her lower lip stuck out.

"But Frix won't let me alone without a bedtime story! And you said you'd read one to us on Friday! And it's Friday!" Mac skipped to Joseph's side and wrapped her arms around his wrist. "Please?"

A sigh seeped through Joseph's gritted teeth and he finally smiled. "Okay. Just one chapter, though." He cast a glance to his bookshelf and he pulled a random one off the ledge.

"Yay!" the little boy, Frix, squealed and beat them both to the bedroom. Joseph chuckled and lead Mac out into the hall and into another room. A bunk-bed sat cozily in the corner, with Frix all cuddled in the bottom bunk. Jack tip-toed behind them and smiled warmly at the sight of the three. Mac climbed up to her bunk and crawled under the covers. She rested her chin on the edge and watched Joseph settle into a chair next to the both of them.

"What's this story called, Seph?" Mac whispered excitedly.

Joseph turned the book over and gazed at the cover. "_Holiday Guardians_. The first chapter is called," he continued, opening the cover and flipping through the pages. "_The Spirit of Winter_."

Jack blinked, surprised, and watched through the doorway. The first words in the book brought a smile to his lips.

"_Jack Frost_..."

**A/N**

**Okay, this is my first try at RotG fanfic. I think North, Bunnymund, Tooth and Sandy will be in it. Hopefully. :D Please tell me your opinion! Reviews will be greatly appreciated! **


	2. I Don't Sleep

Jack slipped away from the doorway and re-entered Joseph's. He stepped up to the bookshelf and studied the titles. Only a few he recognized.

"Why, hello, old friend," a voice slithered into the room. Jack twisted around, his knuckles whitening as he clutched his staff. The only sound was Joseph's distant voice reading to his siblings. Jack eyed every inch of the room and focused on the shadow underneath the wardrobe as it flickered.

"Over here!" the voice teased in a sing-song voice behind him. Jack turned to find the empty doorway. "Fine... Your sense of humor has withered. Your reactions are dull and... well, here I am." A dark figure clad in a long, black robe rose out of the floor and shining, gold eyes stared deeply into Jack's icy ones.

Pitch Black. "What?" Jack smirked, relaxing a bit. "Couldn't get enough of me?"

"You truly are amusing, aren't you?" Pitch returned the amused look and straightened. "After you Guardians cast me out-"

"You mean when your own creations turned on you?" Jack chuckled, leaning of the hook of his staff. Pitch stopped, casting him a glare, but continued.

"I was cast out of that world, but not of this one." His smile spread, showing his dull teeth.

"This world?" Jack raised and eyebrow and wavered on his staff.

"Yes, 'this world'. I thought you of all people, would know. This mountain range is not of the other world. It is foreign. I still have power here. I've lived in this place many a year. These humans are hanging by a thread; clutching a small string of hope. I have control..." Pitch's smile got even wider, if it were possible. Jack only suspiciously watched Pitch.

"So... Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you asked! And after I saw you here, I just had to stop and say hello to my old friend." His smile wavered into a pitiful one as he looked down on Jack. "As I said before, you truly are amusing, aren't you? For several years, you wallowed in your own self pity, and for what? Cause you felt purposeless? Well, get to know Joseph. Your worries are only like a grain of sand, compared to Joseph's boulder of fears. That's why I am so powerful here." He lifted his arms and gestured to the room.

"You are telling me this, why?" Jack readied his staff again, aiming it in Pitch's direction.

"Cause I know you care. I want you to stay for a while. And you will." Pitch's smile grew again.

"How can you live here if Joseph can see you? Or have you been hiding like the coward you are?" Jack added with a sly grin.

"I never said he believes in me. He believes in fear. That is enough for me. Oh... Here he comes." Pitch sank into the ground once more and Jack spun around to face the doorway again.

Joseph stood, frozen in mid-step and staring at Jack. "Who are you and why are you in my room?"

Jack's eyes widened and he turned around, looking for who Joseph might be talking to. He looked back to Joseph.

"Are you talking to me?" he asked awkwardly. Joseph nodded and raised his eyebrows."You can see me?" A smile crept onto his face and he held in a laugh.

"Yes... Why wouldn't I? You're standing in the middle of my room. Now... who are you?" Joseph moved to his desk and grabbed a candle-stick for a weapon. Jack took a step back and chuckled.

"Hey, kid, put that down before someone gets hurt." Jack curled his fingers around his staff.

"If anyone gets hurt, it's gonna be you," Joseph smiled and stepped closer. A flick of Jack's staff and the candlestick burned as ice engulfed it. Joseph gasped, shaking his hand and letting the metal drop to the floor.

"I... am Jack Frost," Jack sighed and lowered his staff.

Joseph looked surprised, but said nothing. He looked convinced, but not nearly surprised enough. "O... 'kay... This is interesting..." Jack strained as if he didn't hear right.

"Interesting? That's all? Come on, now! That's all you have to say when you just met Jack Frost, a Guardian of children?" Jack slumped his shoulders and gave a slight glare. Joseph only shrugged and sat back in his chair.

A long period of silence followed, leaving Jack uncomfortable as he gazed and Joseph. _This kid doesn't look like a kid with a boulder of fears..._ Jack thought, looking for something to sit on. He eased himself onto the edge of Joseph's bed.

"Shouldn't you be getting to bed?" Jack finally said, fingering his staff.

"Yes... But I don't sleep." Joseph swiveled his chair to where his back was to Jack.

"What- Do you stay up to see the Tooth Fairy?" Jack floated to Joseph's side and moved into his line of vision.

"'Tooth' what!?" Joseph turned away and rest his chin in his palms. "Nevermind... I just... don't sleep."

"Nightmares?" Jack jumped over the desk and looked into Joseph's eyes again. He searched them and found emptiness and the boy hesitated, then turned away without saying a word. "Well, that's okay! I... We can do something else."

" 'We'?" Joseph glanced to the Spirit of Winter and raised a brow.

"Of course! Who would pass up the opportunity to hang out with Jack Frost?" Jack smiled and stood. Joseph slightly smiled and stood also.

"Okay. We can go do something."

Jack nodded excitedly and grabbed the back of Joseph's collar and rose to the air. He opened the window and darted outside and into the chilled air. Without asking where to go, he flew towards the woods.


	3. A Boulder of Fears

**(Joseph's PoV, First Person)**

Chuckles escaped me as I was practically dragged through the air. I couldn't help it. Something warm swelled inside that I couldn't contain. Then I heard Jack's laugh. It was filled with something mysterious, yet it made another chuckle burst from my lungs.

My awe was short-lived as I suddenly felt ground under my feet and the tension on my shirt release. I stumbled forward, almost falling to the snow. I turned around as Jack landed softly on the ground, like a snowflake in a peaceful winter.

I gave him a sly smirk and a snowball suddenly shattered against his cheek. His eyes got big and he looked startled, but only for a moment. He picked up some snow and chucked it at me. I easily sidestepped it.

"I'm supposed to be the one starting snowball fights!" he protested with a laugh, finally hitting me square in the nose. I chuckled again, more happiness pouring over me. I filled my palm with more snow and threw it in his direction. He leaped into the air and watched it pathetically burry itself into more snow. He dropped down to pick up another, but when he looked back up, I took off.

Laughter filled the air as I heard him flying above me. I gasped as snow no longer supported my weight, but ice. I slipped across the pond and came to a slow stop in the middle. I uneasily watched it, but nothing happened. I laughed some more and started sliding around.

**(Jack PoV, Third Person)**

Jack eyed the ice warily and stuttered a few words to Joseph, who could not hear them. He sighed and gently slid onto the ice, but he didn't stop. He kept going, slipping over the thick ice and towards the middle. A loud 'oof' as both of them collided and more laughter from Joseph as they both lay sprawled across the ice.

"Nice!" Joseph tried in vain to get up. Jack chuckled, but it came as more of a nervous whimper. That's when it happened. A loud crack pushed a gasp out of both of them and Jack felt the familiar icy sensation as the black water flooded around him. Where was Joseph? Jack opened his eyes and saw Joseph peering through the hole in the ice.

But panic hit Jack like a wall and he desperately clawed at the water.

_No, not again!_

_"What?" Jack tilted his head in surprise when he suddenly found himself out of the water and on the shore of the pond. Joseph yelled muted words towards the water._

_"Hello, again!" Pitch thrust his face into Jack's view. Jack stumbled backward and glared at the Nightmare King. "I thought I'd interrupt this moment to have a chat with you... I want you to know who you're dealing with... Joseph is less of a boy than he might appear."_

_"What are you talking about!? How am I up here!? I was in the water just a few seconds ago!" Jack searched around for his staff, only to catch sight of it on the ice where he had fallen. "What do you want?"_

_"Like I said. I wanted to interrupt to have a chat. To show you how close you are to Pitch Black even when he does not appear be be around you. Look at Joseph."_

_Jack tore his gaze from Pitch and looked to the white-haired boy on the ice. He seemed to be frozen or in slow motion as they watched. Jack's heart filled with dread when he noticed something he had not noticed before. Darkness swarmed Joseph. Like a black blanket of Pitch's sand. It covered his entire body like tar, but most of it radiating from his chest._

_" 'A boulder of fear'..." Jack groaned and turned to Pitch. "What did you do to him?"_

_"Me? No. It was him that did the doing," Pitch's voice ran like syrup and leaked into the pale snow._

Jack sat up, coughing up the water that filled his lungs. He took deep gulps of air and fell onto his back. Joseph loomed over him and shook his shoulders.

"Jack? Come on, buddy, wake up," he persisted until Jack finally opened his eyes.

"I'm fine..." He slowly stood up and clutched his staff as if his like depended on it. He grabbed Joseph's collar and flew into the air and onto land again. Jack instantly started walking back towards Joseph's home.

"Jack? Oh, come on..." Joseph sighed and caught up with him. Silence followed them both back to the orchards. "So... You can't swim?"

"So, you can't _sleep_!?" Jack snapped, turning to face him suddenly. He sighed and faced forward again. "Yes... I can't swim."

Joseph only nodded as they both continued on.

Jack regretted stopping most of the conversations Joseph tried to bring up, but his thoughts played at his mind. He finally noticed how fast he heart beated. Being in the water made even him shudder.

"My mom! She can't see me like this! I'm soaked... We'll have to use the window again," Joseph frowned and gazed up at the curtains blowing in the icy breeze.

"Of course! I wouldn't have entered any other way," Jack replied with a wink as he grabbed Joseph, yet again, and entered through the window.

Jack watched as Joseph searched through all his things until he finally cleared his throat."Um... What are you doing?"

"Oh, um... Oh! There it is." Joseph nervously approached his desk and grasped his book.

" 'Course... Your book... Joseph?" Jack perched himself on the boy's bed-frame.

"Call me Seph," Joseph chuckled, sitting into his desk chair. Jack only nodded and leaned against his staff.

"Um... Why couldn't you see me at first?"

"See you?" Joseph tilted his head and leaned back.

"Yeah... I was there when your siblings asked you to read them a story... How come you suddenly believed in me? You practically looked right at me and didn't see me before..." A sighed seeped out of Jack and he watched Seph fiddled with a chain around his neck.

"I... Well, I read them a story about... Jack Fro-... About you, and then I kind of got... You know. I hadn't read that book before. My parents got be all the books and I've read most of them, but the ones I haven't read are usually ones I read to Mac and Frix."

Jack smiled and nodded silently. "Well, you better get back to your book." Jack moved next to the window as Joseph stood up and grab the book again.

"Oh, yeah. It really is a good... one..." Seph looked curiously around his empty room. The Spirit of Winter was gone.

**A/N**

**This chapter was kind of written in a hurry cause I was mainly focused on letting Jack see how much fear Joseph has. That is all. I hope you liked it! Please review! :) **

**GOD BLESS! ;)**


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